A Doctor at War
by AspiringCatLady
Summary: Doctor John Watson is stationed in Afghanistan with his loyal Growlithe, Flash. He will encounter and help injured Pokemon, patrol his camp, and even fight a little. Short crossover.
1. An Injured Cubone

Credit: The image cover for this story was made by the great 'AiWa-sensei' on deviantART.

Chapter One

Doctor John Watson patrolled the camp grounds with his loyal Growlithe by his side. "It's quite hot today, don't you think, Flash?" he asked his companion.

"Grrrrowl," Flash replied. He was panting. John's medical bag was attached to Flash's back. The weight of the bag and the burning sun heated him up.

"Want to take a rest for a moment?" John asked Flash, who flopped on the ground in response. "Heh heh, I guess that's a yes."

John sat on a large rock nearby. His heavy clothing was killing him. Since he had been stationed in Afghanistan, there had never been such direct sunlight. Generally, a good amount of clouds provided at least some shade, but not today. He took out his canteen from his backpack and took a long drink.

"Grooowlithe," Flash whined. He walked over to John's side and leaned his head back, mouth open.

"I didn't forget about you, buddy," John laughed, ruffling Flash's main. He poured water into Flash's mouth carefully. "There you go. We better get going. Don't want to get caught resting on the job, do we?"

Flash shook his head and he and John began walking again. "You know, I'm a doctor. I enlisted to be an army doctor. I don't understand why I have to patrol the camps," John said, watching the horizon.

"Grooowl," Flash agreed. "Grrr?" he had stopped walking and stood in a defensive pose, looking into the distance.

"What is it, Flash?" John asked. "Is something out there?" Flash nodded slightly. "We better check it out," John said quietly. He and Flash crept closer to the set of dried out bushes ahead. John could see it rustling.

John pulled back one of the bush's branches to see a cubone lying against a rock. "Cuuuuuu…..boooone," the cubone moaned.

"Are you injured?" John asked, kneeling to get a better look. "Oh, man. Flash, we need to get him back to camp. He's been shot…"

"Cuuuuuu…."

"Listen, Cubone. I'm going to help you," John said. He cautiously picked the cubone up into his arms.

"Cuu! Cubone!" the cubone struggled in John's arms, trying to hit him with his bone, but it was lying on the ground.

"Flash, grab his bone, please," John said. He held onto the cubone tightly. "I'm going to help you!"

"Cu…," cubone's struggles slowly stopped. He started to look pale and his eyes began to droop.

"Come on, Flash! We need to hurry!" John and Flash ran back to their camp as fast as they could. When they arrived, John carried Cubone to his tent. He laid him down on a blanket.

"Flash, I need the medical supplies," John said. Flash managed to get the medical bag off of his bag and dragged it over the John.

"Groowlithe," he whined. He was worried about the injured cubone.

"Don't worry," John reassured. He retrieved gloves from the bag and began to inspect the injury. "It's not deep. Looks like it was just a graze, that's really good," John said. "The bullet didn't get stuck in the wound."

John cleaned out the bullet wound carefully. The cubone moan in agony, but Flash helped keep him still. "I need to wrap you up now, okay?"

"Cuubone…." He moaned weakly. John picked him up and wrapped his mid-section with white bandages. He wrapped it tightly.  
"There. You're all done, Cubone," John said with a smile. "You'll be better in no time."

"Cubone!" Cubone nuzzled into John's side gratefully.

"Growlithe!" Flash cheered.

"I guess you won't want to return to the wild, will you, Cubone?" John laughed.

"Cuu," he shook his head. He paused and sat up, worried. "Cu?! Cu?!" he yelled.

"What is it cubone?" John asked. "Oh, are you looking for your bone? Flash has it."

"Grooow," Flash carried Cubone's bone to him. "Grrrr."

"Cu," Cubone murmured happily. Cubone was lifted into John's bed. John wanted him to rest so he would feel better.

"Sleep here Cubone," John said, standing up. He hooked his medical bag onto Flash again. "We have some more patrolling to do."


	2. Caught in Battle

**Disclaimer: I don't own the firestone nor do I own anything else.**

**Chapter Two**

"Want more bread?" John asked Cubone and Flash. They were currently indulging in lunch.

"Cubone!" John handed Cubone another slice.

"Growl!" Flash barked happily. John set the bread on Flash's plate.

"The general's Hitmonlee needs to be looked at. The general said he hasn't been fighting well lately," John told Flash between bites of his sandwich. "Then we've gotta patrol again. Ugh."

"Lithe," Flash responded, mouth full of bread.

"Cubone, do you think you could help wash the dishes for lunch? The general said you could stay, but you have to help out. Does your side feel better?"

"Cu! Cu, cubone!" Cubone nodded. He didn't mind helping out.

* * *

"I really don't like patrolling," John groaned.

"Groowl," Flash grumbled beside him. He didn't like it either.

"Hey… What's that?" John asked, pointing ahead. He could see something red gleaming in the sunlight. He jogged over to it and picked it up. "Ha! Would you believe out luck, Flash? It's a firestone! You can evolve now!" John said excitedly.

"Growlithe," Flash said uncomfortably. He looked at the ground and dug his paw into it.

"What's wrong, Flash?" John asked, confused.

"Growl."

"Flash," John knelt down in front of him. "Do you not want to evolve?" Flash shook his head, avoiding eye contact with John. "Heh," John laughed. "That's okay, Flash! You don't have to evolve if you don't want to!"

"Growlithe?" Flash cocked his head.

"It's alright! I'll just hang onto this, though," John said as he dropped the stone into his pocket. "I know Jason back at camp has wanted to evolve Juliet, his Vulpix, up. Don't worry about it though, Flash. I'm fine with you staying as you are," John smiled reassuringly at Flash.

"Groowl!" Flash barked happily. He jumped around John in a happy circle.

"Ha ha, let's keep walking," John told him.

* * *

**"BANG! BANG! BOOM!"**

John sank behind a boulder, clutching his gun to his chest. Flash crouched low beside him, eyes wide. They were both terrified. How exactly had John and Flash ended up in actual battle? This was what John couldn't figure out.

"MOVE MOVE MOVE!" John heard the General shout.

John looked at Flash before rising above the boulder and shooting. He screamed as he shot at the enemies, and then cowered behind the boulder again.

"How did we get in this mess?" John asked with a shaky voice over the sounds of war. "Sorry, buddy. I know we didn't sign up for this."

"Growl!" Flash responded, worried. Neither he nor John had been in battle before.

John stood and fired another round. "Stay low, okay Flash? Don't get yourself hurt," John warned. "I have to get closer, but don't move, okay?" John reloaded his gun. Flash gave him a nervous nod and John ran out from behind the boulder. He ran closer to enemy lines, dodging fallen soldiers who were retreating. Flash watched from behind the rock.

John was about to reach the safety of a wall of rocks, but he let out a scream of pain. Next thing Flash knew, John was lying on the ground, blood soaking his shirt.

"GRROOWL!" Flash roared and ran as fast as he could to John. He saw the lump of the firestone in John's pocket. Flash ripped the pocket off of John's vest and found the stone.

The light falling on John's eyelid's disappeared into darkness. When he opened his eyes, a ferocious Arcanine stood over his body. The Arcanine had fresh blood matting his hair. Flash had evolved to protect John. Flash roared at the men shooting. The roar echoed and Flash growled. He left his place over John to pounce on the man who had shot him.

"F-flash," John called weakly. Flash, who was bearing his teeth inches away from the enemy's face, whipped his head around to look at John. "D-don't." Regretfully, Flash hopped off of the enemy's chest. He did, however, snap at the man's heels as he retreated. Flash ran back to John. He was starting to look pale.

"Aarc," Flash whimpered. He was shielding John from being shot again. Flash dragged John behind the wall of rocks and looked at his shoulder. A small hole was surrounded by a growing circle of blood on the clothing surrounding John's shoulder. Flash nudged at it with his muzzle.

"Aaagh!" John yelled with the pain. "F-Flash. I need t-to get back to the c-camp."

"Canine!" Flash nodded with determination. He gingerly picked John up, his mouth holding onto his right arm. He set John on his back, and when John had his arm wrapped around Flash's neck, Flash started to run. He ran, jumping over bodies and fighting soldiers to get to camp. When he made it, he hurried John to the medical tent.

"Cubone!" John turned his head to see Cubone. "Cu? Bone cub!" he fretted.

"It's okay, Cubone," John whispered. Whispering was all he could manage. "I'll be fine."


	3. Healing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Flash the Arcanine, John's cane, or anything else in this story.**

**Chapter Three**

John woke up and adjusted his blurry eyes. He was in a white room that smelled distinctly of disinfectant. He reached over with his right hand and felt an IV in his left wrist. John tried to sit up, but cried out from the pain in his left shoulder.

John looked over and saw his shoulder wrapped in white gauze. "Oh yeah," he muttered to himself. "I got shot."

"Arcanine!" Flash jumped up from where he was sleeping on the floor and rushed to John's side. His eyes were full of sadness and worry.

"Hey, Flash," John said weakly. "I'm alright," he said, ruffling Flash's main.

"Arc!" Flash licked John's face.

"Ha ha, hey," John laughed, pushing Flash's muzzle away. He paused and looked seriously at Flash. "You evolved. You evolved to protect me?"

Flash bobbed his head slightly. John felt a warm feeling grow inside of him. "But are you happy like this?" John asked. He was worried that Flash regretted evolving. Flash set aside his worries when he nodded. He stood on his hind legs and put his front legs on John's bed.

"Oh!" John said as all his breath escaped him. One of Flash's legs hit him right in the stomach. Flash whined apologetically. "It's alright, buddy."

Flash licked John's face. He sat down next to the hospital bed and nuzzled his face into John's good shoulder. "I'm sorry I scared you, Flash. I didn't mean to get shot," John laughed.

The door to John's hospital room opened. John and Flash both looked to see Harriet Watson, John's sister walk in the door. Under her arm was John's magikarp, and the rest of John's Pokémon ran in behind her. His Cubone, one-eyed pidgey, kecleon, and all of the other Pokémon John had rescued rushed to his side.

"Cubone, Cu!" Cubone said angrily. He hit John on the head with his bone. Flash growled at him.

"Thanks for bringing them, Harriet," John said over the noise from the Pokémon.

"Not a problem, John. Just try to get well soon," she replied.

* * *

**One Month Later…**

John limped along, leaning on his cane for support as he walked. Flash whined beside him, trying to help him out. He nuzzled his nose under John's arm, wanting to half-carry him.

"I'm okay, Flash," John said gruffly. He appreciated Flash's help, but he had to walk on his own. He and Flash were taking a walk. John needed a break from the rehab center. "Let's have a seat over there, okay?" John asked, pointing to a bench.

"Arcanine," Flash agreed. He laid down in front of John's feet and rested his head on his paws.

"John? John Watson?" a man asked. He approached the bench with a Psyduck in tow. "It's me, Mike Stamford."

"Yes, hello Mike," John said, not too happy to see him.

"I heard you were out somewhere getting shot. What happened?" Mike asked.

"I got shot," John answered.

"Ha ha," Mike laughed, "You haven't lost your sense of humor, I see." Mike sat next to John. "So are you staying in town?"

"No, I can't afford a place in London. Not on an army pension," John said, watching ducks in the pond.

"Couldn't Harry help?"

"Yeah," John said sarcastically. "That's gonna happen."

"You know, you could always share a flat or something," Mike suggested.

"Who'd want me for a flatmate?" John asked, annoyed. Mike smiled at him. "What?" John asked.

"Well you're the second person to say that to me today."


End file.
